Bollards to slow down cyclists on West Coast Highway path upset local residents

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Bollards set up on a cycle path to deter fast cyclists have left local residents bewildered and upset a group who offer elderly people rides along the coast.

The City of Stirling installed a series of bollards on a section of the dual-use path along West Coast Highway in Trigg earlier this week.

According to the City, the aim of the bollards is not to remove cyclists entirely but to encourage faster cyclists to ride on the road, and not the path.

The council’s manager of engineering design, Paul Giamov, said the installation was in response to complaints from residents and ratepayers, as well as other users of the shared path about fast moving cyclists.

Alanagh Godderidge, who facilitates a fee-free service along the coast that offers trishaw rides to elderly and less able-bodied passengers, has been forced to abandon the area.

Ms Godderidge said she was consulted on the design but the plans were changed after the council promised to accommodate their concerns.

“Until safe passage is granted, our rides will no longer pass through these bollards,” she said.

“Managing a 250kg load from a near stationary position, up a hill, near a road curb, whilst navigating bollards is too unsafe.”

Camera IconPassengers ready for a ride on the Cycling Without Age trishaw.

Other residents took to social media to slam the bollard installation, saying they were “visual pollution”, poorly designed and could potentially cause more accidents.

Mr Giamov said official crash statistics are not maintained for shared paths but anecdotally, “the City is aware of numerous instances where pedestrians have been struck and injured by fast moving cyclists.”

He said risks to pedestrians posed by excessive speed of cyclists were considered high and defended the installation’s design.

“The council had previously received feedback from the Trishaw operators and specifically modified the design to incorporate a bypass (offset from the main travel path) that is wide enough to allow ‘trishaws’ to continue using the shared path,” he said.

“Any further design modifications that would increase the width of this bypass would need to be considered carefully to ensure that the intent of the bollards (ie, reducing the speed of cyclists) is not compromised.”